Book Of The Week: Hug A Bug

Dan Andreasen is one of my all-time favorite illustrators.  My kids beg for his books at bedtime on a regular basis.  We were thrilled when we recently stumbled upon his collaboration with author Eileen Spinelli on the book Hug A Bug. 

This darling story uses short rhymes to tell about a girl who loves hugs.  Not only does she love to give hugs, but she loves to teach others - others who might be a little grumpy - how good it can feel to give someone else a hug.

The illustrations are colorful and charming and Andreasen's characters are typically expressive.  This is one book we are guaranteed to be checking out from the library frequently! 

Book Of The Week: Berenstain Bears Old-Fashioned Christmas

We've been reading Christmas books since Halloween.  Our library has a HUGE selection of Christmas books and for some reason I feel obligated to read them all every year.  Which means starting early.  This year, there was a special treat waiting for us.  We LOVE the Berenstain Bears.  We read one of their books almost every day, and the kids are constantly begging to watch the tv show. 

This holiday, there is a brand new Berenstain Bears Christmas book!  When we came across Berenstain Bears Old-Fashioned Christmas we were elated.  Fond as we are of the old classics, we couldn't wait to open up this new treasure.  And we weren't disappointed.  Not only is the book filled with a classic tale of Bear Family hi-jinx, it also includes lots of Christmas tutorials - the words to a couple classic songs, instructions for making ornaments and treats for woodland animals, designs for decorating Gingerbread Bears and more!

If you're a fan of the Bear Family, or of Christmas - head right out and find yourself a copy of Old-Fashioned Christmas.  We can't wait to get started on those crafts - and maybe throw in a verse of two of Twelve Days Of Christmas while we're at it.

Book Of The Week: I Love You Through and Through

We are big readers at our house. Even baby sister (who is almost 2 already - holy cow!) won't go to bed without a story.  And a perennial favorite at our house has always been I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rosetti-Shustak.

As you can tell, this book has been well loved, oft read, and even occasionally chewed on.  My children have taken it to bed with them, toted it in the car, and snuggled it closely.  In fact, we've loved this book so much we're on our second copy (the first met an unfortunate end at the hands of a leaky sippy cup).

Not only does this book feature a tender story of how much a parent loves his/her child, but the pictures are darling and engaging.  The story is simple and easy for even an 18 month old to remember and follow along.  And it helps a child to learn about opposites (happy and sad, top and bottom, inside and outside) as well as body parts (eyes and ears, fingers and toes, nose and hair).  We like to mimic the emotions or point to the body parts as they are each named in the book - it's become a fun little bedtime game!

My daughter asks for this book before bed every single night and I am absolutely happy to oblige.  Unlike most of their stories, this is one book I never ever tire of.  

If you're looking for a good story to share with your young child, or if you need a great gift for a friend, be sure to check out I Love You Through and Through!

Book Of The Week and What I Wore

It's been a busy week so please excuse my combining posts.  To start, here was our favorite book this week:

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What: The Train To Glasgow

Who: Wilma Horsbrugh and Paul Cox

Why: My kids love books about trains.  And they love books that rhyme.  And they really love books that build on the same rhyme so they can recite right along by the time the book ends.  This book combines all three elements with fun paintings of trains (and chickens, and passengers).  Also, the Scottish names are fun to pronounce.

What I Wore: Garage Sale-ing

I love to go to garage sales.  So do my kids.  This weekend, I wore this ensemble while hitting the sales.  I also happened to have purchased this shirt for a steal ($1!) at a garage sale a few weeks back.

Shirt: Maurices (garage sale)

Shorts: Old Navy (ancient)

Glasses: Converse

Shoes: Akaishi (yes, I need orthotic shoes *sigh*)

Watch: Skagen

Rings: 1saleaday, heirloom, Helzberg Diamonds

What I Wore: Pizza Place

Grandma took the family out for pizza tonight.  She was surprised to see me wearing a dress that had once been hers.  It had been handed down to me from my sister-in-law - so now all three ladies in the family have worn this dress.  I had it taken in a size, but it still looks great, even after all these years!

Dress: Old Navy (15+ years old)

Accessories: same as above

Book Of The Week: Danny Is Done With Diapers

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You could say that at our house, we have potty training on the brain.  Big brother is still honing his skills, and little brother is finally getting the hang of staying dry.  To top it off, Baby L is getting interested in the potty, too (yes please!)  Therefore, I have been checking out every book on potty training that I can find.

One of the most engaging potty training books for kids that we've discovered lately is Danny Is Done With Diapers: A Potty ABC by Rebecca O'Connell.  I'm a big fan of teaching through stories and not only does this book teach all the basic skills and etiquettes of potty training, but it helps to reinforce the alphabet and rhyming sounds as well.  For each letter of the alphabet a child (whose name begins with that letter) learns a skill, also starting with that letter.  "Danny is done with diapers" teaches the D sound and also demonstrates wearing 'big boy pants.'  Little brother was thrilled to name off the letters as we read, and occasionally shouted such things as "she going on the potty!" or "I not have accidents anymore!"  He couldn't wait to rush off to try out his potty one more time. 

If you're potty training (or considering starting soon), definitely introduce your kids to Danny Is Done With Diapers.  You might discover that your child is soon done with diapers himself!

Book Of The Week: M.O.M. Mom Operating Manual

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M.O.M. Mom Operating Manual  by Dorren Cronin is a book more appropriate for older kids and adults.  This hilarious how-to manual teaches kids how to care for their moms to keep them operating at maximum efficiency.  With tongue-in-cheek jokes and colorful illustrations, this book covers everything from feeding and dressing, to heavy-lifting and going out in public.  While much of the advice is written with an undertone of sarcasm, an astute child who pays close attention could learn a thing or two about how to keep Mom happy and going strong day after day.  I'll admit - my kids (4 and 2) lost interest by page 5.  But a grade-schooler or pre-teen should catch on to the running gags and might even pick up some of the advice.  If things have been a little frazzled in your house, or if tensions have been high between parents and kids, this book might be a great way to diffuse the situation and start a dialogue about how the family can run a little more smoothly.  Sometimes it's hard for kids to remember that Mom and Dad are humans with needs, too - and this book is a great, funny, objective reminder to take good care of those who care for us.

 

Book Of The Week: Because Your Daddy Loves You

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I love books that are written as much for a parent as they are for a child.  Books that have sweet messages for the children and stark reminders for Mom or Dad.  I have to confess, I felt a pang of guilt when I read Because Your Daddy Loves You by Andrew Clements to my son.  I know in my head that I am meant to have infinite patience and grace with my kids.  But some days, I'm very short tempered.  This beautiful book illustrates one day in the life of a little girl and her daddy.  It points out all the many times throughout the day that Daddy could have lost his temper or been impatient - but instead chose to show grace and treat his daughter with tenderness.  All because he loves her.  My son found this book very comforting as he recognized the ways that the daddy showed love to his daughter.  And I found the book very convicting as I realized how few of those moments of grace I manage to actualize in my day-to-day with the kids.  I'm thinking of buying a copy and making it a nightly read - with or without the kids - until our days better reflect this story.  If patience and grace are something you struggle with (or even if you just want a sweet story to share with your kids), I highly recommend checking out this book.


 

Book Of The Week: The Tub People

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I love books that anthropomorphize toys.  I don't know what it is about the idea that toys have a life beyond playtime that I find so appealing.  But not often do you find books that explore the idea that toys don't know that they're toys.  The Tub People by Pam Conrad is one such book.  This story explores a family of wooden toys who live on the edge of the bathtub.  We see through their eyes the adventures they take as well as the tragedy they experience when their owner is negligent one night.  The emotions the tub people experience seem poingniantly real because, as far as they know, they are real.  The illustrations are classic and engaging, and this story subtly teaches children why they need to treat their toys with care and respect.  And don't worry - the book does have a happy ending. 


 

Book Of The Week: Grandpa Has Changed

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I am a big believer in having tough conversations with my kids.  Unfortunately, I'm not always very good at it.  Some concepts are hard enough for adults to understand, let alone small children who don't have a lot of worldly experience.  But kids do meet tough subjects in their lives and it's worth discussing.  I am grateful to the authors who tackle these topics so that we have a jumping-off point when discussing life with our children.

I was only 9 when my first grandmother began developing dementia.  A few years later, my other grandmother also developed the disease.  As a child, it was hard to understand why Grandma did funny things like waking up in the middle of the night to start her day, pouring orange juice on her cereal, or cooking the oven timer in the oven.  I was a teenager before I really understood what was happening to the woman I loved so much. It was a long, sad and sometimes scary loss. Dementia and Alzheimer's can be very frightening illnesses for kids to encounter.

I wish that back then I'd had access to Grandpa Has Changed by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos.  This book describes a child's reaction to the news that his beloved grandfather has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and how the family copes with the changes the disease brings.  The book teaches children to handle their suffering loved ones with care and compassion, not fear, and helps to answer some of the hard questions like "why does Grandpa dress funny" and "will Grandpa still be able to play with me."  The book teaches hope for the good times and understanding for the hard times. 

I am grateful that my children do not yet have to encounter this illness.  But I know that if someday our family is touched by this disease, they will be better equipped for that journey after having read this book.  The dialogue has been started and now I have a platform from which to answer their questions -and for that I am grateful.



 

Book Of The Week: Giraffe And A Half

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I don't know about you, but I love rhymes.  Something about reading them out-loud just makes me smile.  My kids seem to love rhymes as well - they listen much more intently when there's a lyric quality to the stories we read.  I've been a Shel Silverstein fan all my life so I was pleasantly surprised to find Giraffe And A Half on the shelf in the kids' section at the library. The entire book is one long repetitive rhyme. By the end of the book, my 4 year old was almost able to recite along with me.  But it wouldn't be a Silverstein book without a fun twist at the finish! 

Not only is the fast pace of the rhyme exciting to read, but it's great practice for learning common words as well - something I really appreciate as we're teaching our son to read.  And of course, as always, the illustrations are engaging and hilarious.  I'm glad to do my part to instill a love of Silverstein in the next generation!


 

Book Of The Week: Looking After Louis

 

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I feel blessed that my children are still in the stage where they find people who are "different" to be fascinating and exciting, instead of scary or 'weird.'  They love that people come in all different shapes, sizes and colors.  That some can walk and others can roll.  That people are blessed and gifted in many different kinds of ways.  And I hope that they always keep this perspective.  That every single person in this world deserves dignity and respect. 

To that end, I am enormously grateful to the authors who help parents through this journey by publishing thoughtful, sensitive and beautiful stories about people this world has labeled "different," "disabled," or even, sometimes, "weird."  Everyone should be celebrated for who he or she is, no matter what challenges s/he might face.  A book that tackles this subject with particular grace, is Looking After Louis by Lesley Ely and Polly Dunbar.

In this book, a young girl describes her daily interactions with Louis, an autistic boy in her grade-school class.  She describes her observations of his behaviors and her journey to discovering just what it is that makes this boy so special and beautiful in his own right.  In the story the other children treat Louis with great kindness and respect - just what I want my children to learn to do for every child they meet.

If you're looking for a good teaching book - or even just a sweet bedtime story - then you will definitely want to check out Looking After Louis.